Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Ramping up the facilities to improve the nutritional level in children, the Department of Bal Vikas Seva evam Pushtahar ( Child Development and Nutrition) of the Uttar Pradesh government has installed baby weighing machines and stadiometer machines in the Anganwadi centres of all districts.
In the ICT-RTM of the Central government’s ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ (National Nutrition Mission – NNM), the growth monitoring devices are required to monitor the weight and height of malnourished children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women.
Around 1,52,432 infant weighing machines and nearly 1,88,219 stadiometer machines have been provided to the Anganwadis in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The government has also provided training to the master trainer for the use of these GMD devices.
The government is working in a phased manner to ensure that no child in the State suffers from malnutrition. On one hand, the government has established call centers for the resolution of the problems, while on the other hand, it is organising profitable programmes like ‘Weight Day’ and ‘Poshan Vatika’.
The UP government has set up a call center to keep a check on the facilities provided to malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women in UP. More than one lakh calls have been made through the call center.
In the first phase, calls are being made to Anganwadi workers, women self-help groups and families of malnourished children. Complaints related to nutrition service availability, quality, call out functions are being registered through the call center. A call center has been set up to make calls to Anganwadi workers, ASHA, ANMs, women self-help groups and village heads to tackle the problems related to monitoring.
So far, as per the instruction of Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath, 1,622 families of malnourished children have been given cows under the Mukhya Mantri Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana along with Rs 900 per month for its maintenance.
In the Poshan Vatika community, malnourished children are being encouraged to switch to local greens and vegetables. Through Poshan Vatika, children are being made aware of nutritious vegetables at the Anganwadis. So far, 28,106 Poshan Vatikas have been established.
On the first Tuesday of every month, Weight Day is being organised at Anganwadis in which malnourished and children affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) are marked by weighing the children. As many as 12,23,891 underweight and 2,39,158 severely underweight and malnourished children have been identified in UP.
